The Next Two-thirds.

Florida Baseball

2014-03-20T18:50:00.000+08:00

Back in my younger days I was a decent baseball player. I think I was getting better as I aged, so it was unfortunate that I had rotator cuff surgery and was never able to recover. However, along the way I went some great places and met some awesome people and I have fond memories of my baseball days. Some harsh memories, but fond ones mostly. Also, if I had continued to play baseball, I never would have gotten to live so many places and teach so many faces. God's got a plan for everyone, so be grateful for what you have and what you don't have. You never know what could be a blessing in disguise! Go Gators!!!!

Balloons at the Yahoo! Dome

2014-03-14T14:52:00.001+08:00

This picture was taken inside the Yahoo! Dome during the 7th Inning Stretch of a baseball game between the Softbank Hawks and the Chiba-Lotte Marines. Everyone gets a balloon and releases it at the same moment. When they go off it's a uniquely interesting sight! You'd be surprised at how quickly the field gets cleaned up. The Japanese are a people who value efficiency and diligence and their society reflects this.

Chicken in the Corn

2014-03-10T21:25:00.002+08:00

This is Andrew Chin aka Brushy One String. He is the son of famous Rocksteady singer Freddy McKay. McKay died when Brushy was young and he grew up poor and illiterate. He received a break when a filmmaker who was making a documentary about Jamaica filmed this song, "Chicken in the Corn". Now Brushy is an internet celebrity and it touring in the West Coast of the United States. Go Brushy, go!

Home is Where the Heart is

2014-03-04T19:04:00.002+08:00

This picture was taken in 2009 in Anna Maria Island, Florida. Florida's Gulf Coast is home to some of the best beaches in the entire world. Florida is famous for its warm clear waters and white sand beaches. Anna Maria Island is located west of Bradenton, Florida and has over 7 miles of pristine beach. I've been going to Anna Maria since about 1989 and Mr. Bones BBQ Restaurant is STILL there.

Set Fire to the Rain

2014-03-04T12:47:00.001+08:00

This is a short surf snippet that I love. Garrett McNamara, owner of the world record for largest wave surfed, Joel Parkinson, and the legend Kelly Slater are some of the surfers in this video. Kelly Slater, from Florida, is an 11 time world champion and still going strong at age 42. Widely regarded as the best competitive surfer ever, Kelly Slater will also drop in on some big waves from time to time. Big wave surfing has gained popularity and is a lot safer than it was in the past with the advent of jet skis and sleds, spotters, and inflatable life vests. Big wave surfing has claimed the lives of big wave legends like Eddie Aikau, Mark Foo, and Sion Milosky. It is a sport that requires dedication, training, strength, skill, and bravery.

Tire Tracks and Rice Fields

2014-02-20T12:49:00.000+08:00

Khanh Hoa countryside. Khanh Hoa Province is located on Vietnam's South Central Coast. Nha Trang is Khanh Hoa's capital city and also has one of the largest ports on Vietnam's South Central Coast.

Surfing Vietnam

2014-02-19T21:23:00.002+08:00

This is my friend, Eric at our surf spot here in Vietnam. Eric, from NY/California/Vietnam/Philippines and Albin, from Orebro, Sweden, are our only regular footers. The left is a little short and gets you right into the washing machine, so it's mostly rights. Consequently, I've gotten pretty good at riding on my backhand. Surf is sparse in Vietnam, but when it gets a pumping swell, it's definitely a fun wave. There are several reef breaks all up and down the coast. China Beach is a famous beach break. Never been there! Photo credit to Diana.

Mui Ne Sand Dunes

2014-02-18T18:29:00.002+08:00

Ok, Ben is back. This shot is from 2012, just outside of Mui Ne, Vietnam at the sand dunes. This little dude was our guide and showed us how to enjoy the dunes. I was really sandy after doing a few jumps and rides down the hill on mats. Mũi Né is a little beach strip in South Vietnam. It's mostly resorts and restaurants, but there is a burgeoning kite surfing industry. An interesting place and worth a few days in Vietnam.

Battle

2011-08-21T12:36:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2009 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vendors near Songhua Lake

2011-08-19T14:18:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 near Songhua Lake in Jilin, China. The women in the picture were selling a few fruits and fried fish. Songhua Lake is dammed by the Fengman Dam and the heated water forms a beautiful phenomenon known as rime ice. Jilin hosts the International Rime Ice and Snow Festival every year, which is a celebration that I have been fortunate enough to attend twice.

Joe at 世纪广场

2011-08-17T23:44:00.004+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 at 世纪广场 in Jilin, China. 世纪广场 translates to Century Square. In this picture, Joe Deprey is skating under Chairman Mao. Joe was asked to stop skating so close to the dear Mao Ze Dong by a security guard. Mao appears on every denomination of currency in Mainland China.

Stop and Smell the Roses

2011-08-13T01:50:00.006+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 on the train between Manzhouli and Harbin, China. Sometimes you have to stop to smell the roses. The rose has been used to display love since the ancient Greeks and Romans both used it to symbolize their goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus.

Piano Bar in Kumamoto

2011-08-11T13:11:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2007 at シャルマンバルール in Kumamoto, Japan. The piano player was quite good and we sang a few songs together. The piano is thought to have been invented around 1700. The word is a shortened form of the Italian word for the instrument, pianoforte.

Aso, Japan

2011-08-10T20:08:00.004+08:00

This photo was taken in 2007 in Aso, Japan. The sun is 150,000,000 kilometers, or 93,206,000 miles from Earth. The sun was formed about 4.6 billion years ago when a hydrogen molecular cloud collapsed. The Sun does not have enough mass to explode as a supernova. Instead, in about 5 billion years, it will enter a red giant phase, its outer layers expanding as the hydrogen fuel in the core is consumed and the core contracts and heats up. We will all die. Fortunately, if you're reading this, you have no real chance of being alive in 5 billion years. But, still sad.

Flowers in Jilin

2011-08-09T18:16:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2009 in Jilin, China. During my stay in Jilin, the coldest night was -38 degrees Celsius. And yes, that's cold.

That's G

2011-08-01T15:08:00.002+08:00

This picture was taken in 2009 at the National Stadium in Beijing, China. The Bird's Nest, as it is known, was the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, athletic events, and soccer finale. For another post and more info on the Beijing National Stadium, click here.

Friendly Fukuoka Pigeons

2011-07-31T19:57:00.002+08:00

This photo was taken in 2007 in Fukuoka, Japan. These pigeons were so tame they would eat crackers out of my hand. Pigeons are some of the most amazing navigators in the animal kingdom. A champion racing pigeon can be released 400-600 miles from it's home and return within a day. Studies have been conducted to find out how the pigeon is able to navigate so well, but a solid answer has not presented itself. During one such study, the pigeons were observed following freeways and even changing directions at major junctions. Other theories are that pigeons use the Earth's magnetic field, the sun, or low frequency seismic waves. Whatever the answer, pigeons are fantastic animals.

The View from the Back

2011-07-30T19:56:00.009+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 from the back of a train traveling from Manzhouli to Harbin, China. The ride takes about 15 hours and includes numerous stops throughout Inner Mongolia. It's a stunning trip as you can see the vast grass plains and the traditional yurt homes of Inner Mongolians. A yurt is a portable home made of wood lattice and usually covered in felt made from wool. If you're ever on the train from Harbin to Manzhouli, keep the curtains open and enjoy the scenery.

Harbin, China

2011-07-29T20:34:00.002+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 in Harbin, China. Harbin is the 10th largest city in China with just under 10 million residents. Harbin is sometimes called "The Ice City," both because of the bitterly cold winters(average HIGH temperature in January is -12 C) and because of it's famous Ice Festival. Harbin's Russian influence also makes it unique and it has numerous Russian style cathedrals and an entire shopping street with European style storefronts. Harbin is a city that most travellers would overlooks, but if you plan on going to Manchuria, Harbin is a can't miss.

Kentucky Fried China

2011-07-28T10:20:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 in Manzhouli, China. Manzhouli is a small border town that is a few kilometers from Russia. But, while Manzhouli may uniquely have a Russian influence, it, like many other cities in China is feeling the influence of The Colonel. A new KFC is built in China everyday! The effects have yet to be fully seen, but I expect as China becomes more wealthy and more fast food places pop up, more obese people will pop up too.

Diamond Ay?

2011-07-27T10:55:00.002+08:00

This picture was taken outside of Nha Trang, Vietnam in 2010 and pictured is my friend, Sam. We had a huge rainfall over a period of 4 days and when you get into the mountains, mudslides and falling rocks are frequent. Diamond Bay is a resort about 15 minutes outside of Nha Trang and this sign sits on the cliff face across from the entrance. As we were riding our motorbike out to Bai Dai beach, we noticed a giant boulder had slid down the mountain and crushed the B in Bay. It has since been fixed, but if you're driving through the mountains in Vietnam during rainy season, be careful!

Catholic Church in Kumamoto

2011-07-26T11:25:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2007 in Kumamoto, Japan. Despite more than half of Japanese people claiming no religion, religion plays a large part of many people's lives in Japan. While the overwhelming majority of religious Japanese adhere to Shinto, Buddhism, or a mixture of the two, Christianity has a small following in Kyushu where the first Europeans landed in 1542. The Kyushu daimyo(lords) welcomed trade with the Europeans and tolerated their proselytizing. However, when Francis Xavier tried to spread Christianity to the capital, it resulted in the ruling general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issuing a ban on Christianity and executing 26 Franciscan missionaries in Nagasaki. The ban stood from 1597 to 1873 when the Meiji restoration gave the Japanese freedom of religion. Today Christianity is practiced by between 600,000 and 1,000,000 Japanese.

The Shack at Bai Dai

2011-03-22T15:49:00.005+08:00

This picture was taken in September 2011 at The Shack in Bai Dai Beach, Vietnam. The waves at Bai Dai are wind generated beach breakers and can reach 1-3 meters in the high season of October through April.

Родина-мать зовёт!

2011-03-21T11:00:00.008+08:00

This photo was taken in 2008 by Rosie O'Neill near Manzhouli, China. The statue in the picture with me is actually a replica of a famous Russian statue called "The Motherland Calls." The title of this blog entry is the Russian name. The original statue was built in Volgograd to commemorate the Battle of Stalingrad. When it was dedicated in 1967, it was the largest sculpture in the world, standing 86 meters(284 feet) tall. The statue in the photo is obviously much smaller. You can view a picture of the original statue by clicking here.

Kyoto Giant

2011-03-06T22:49:00.003+08:00

This photo was taken in 2007 by Cris Cordio in Kyoto, Japan. I am 6'4" or 193 cm tall. The average height for a man age 18-29 in Japan is about 5'6" or 171 cm.